Picture frame hanging and leveling device



Aug. 9, 1966 D. J. HUSHE-K PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICEFiled Sept. 17. 1964 HHHHHHIH I NVENTOVR..,

DAN/EL J. HUSHEK I5 2/ p/ 4 a. m

United States Patent 3,265,339 PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICEDaniel I. Hushek, 630 Davis St., Melrose Park, Ill. Fiied Sept. 17,1964, Ser. No. 397,164 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-29) This invention relates toa picture frame hanging and leveling device for hanging pictures andsimilar articles on a vertical wall or like supporting surface.

One of the problems involved in hanging pictures and in leveling pictureframes on vertical walls and like supporting surfaces, by means of ahook or nail attached to the wall surface, and a flexible cord attachedto the picture frame and suspended from the supporting hook or nail, isthe problem of leveling the picture frame after it has been suspended bya flexible cord from the supporting hook or nail.

Another problem involved in .the use of prior picture frame hangingdevices, such as hooks and nails, has been the problem of assuring thatthe picture frame will maintain its desired level position after it hasbeen mounted in position of use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedpicture hanging and leveling device which in use facilitates the hangingand leveling of picture frames upon a vertical wall or like supportingsurface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedpicture frame hanging device which, in use, makes it possible to insurethat the picture frame When mounted in position of use will retain itsdesired level position.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedpicture frame hanging and leveling device embodying novel means forsupporting a picture frame unit in a position forwardly of a verticallyextending supporting wall surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedpicture frame hanging and leveling device which in use makes it possibleto adjust the position of the picture frame suspended by the new pictureframe supporting or hanging and leveling device after screws, or likefastening elements, from which the new picture frame hanging andleveling device is suspended, have been inserted into a vertical wall orlike supporting surface and without the necessity for removing thesupporting screws or like supporting elements from, and reinser-tingthem into, the supporting wall surface and thereby further marring thevertical supporting wall or like supporting surface.

Other objects will appear herein-after.

In the drawings:'

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a picture frame suspending by thenew picture frame hanging or supporting and leveling device;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing one of thenew picture frame hanging and leveling devices mounted in position ofuse upon the side rail of a picture frame;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on line 33 in FIG. 2;and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, on line 4-4in FIG. 3.

A preferred embodiment of the new picture frame hanging and levelingdevice is illustrated in the drawing, wherein it is generally indicatedat 10, and is generally inverted L-shaped in plan, and is shown as beingassociated and used with a typical picture frame unit 11 which embodiesparallel vertically extending side walls 12, a horizontal top wall 13,and a horizontal bottom wall 14; the picture frame unit 11 being mountedupon a vertical 3,265,33% Patented August 9, 1986 surface generallyindicated at 15 supporting wall (FIG. 3).

The new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 comprises anormally vertically extending body portion 16 having formed therein anelongated vertically extending slot 17, and an upper horizontallyextending arm portion 18 which extends generally right angul-arly fromthe body portion 16 at the top of the latter and is interconnected withthe vertically extending body portion 16 by a transverse interconnectingweb portion 19; the horizontally extending arm portion being offsetlaterally from and out of the plane of the vertically extending bodyportion 16, as best shown in FIG. 3,-for a purpose which will bedescribed hereinafter.

The new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 may be made of anysuitable material, and in any suitable manner as, for example, by beingstamped fro-m suitable light sheet steel, aluminum, or like metal, or bybeing molded from plastic synthetic resinous molding material, or thelike.

As shown in the drawing, the offset horizontally extending upper armportion 16 has a horizontally extending elongated slot 21) formedtherein.

In the use of the new picture frame hanging and leveling device, two ofthe new picture frame hanging and leveling devices 11 are mounted on thepicture frame unit 11, so that one of the new picture frame hanging andleveling devices 10 is mounted on each of the vertically extending sidewalls or rails 12 of the picture frame unit 11 and preferably adjacentthe upper portion thereof, as shown. To this end, a pair of suitablefastening elements in the form of screws 21 are inserted at spacedintervals through each of the elongated slots 17 in the verticallyextending body portions 16 of the picture frame hanging and levelingdevices 10 and the screws 21 are driven into the body of the side wallsor rails 12 of the picture frame unit 11.

After the two fastening screws 21 have been inserted through each of thevertically extending slots 17 in the vertically extending body portions16 of the picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10, into the siderails 12 of the picture frame unit 11, the user then measures thedistance between the centers of the two horizonally extending slots 20in the horizontally extending offset arm portions 18, whereupon thedistance from the ceiling down to the desired height at which the userwishes to hang the picture frame unit 11 is measured. A pair of spacedheaded supporting nails 22 are then driven into the supporting wallsurface 15 at points corresponding to the centers of the twohorizontally extending slots 20 in the horizontally extending armportions 18, at approximately the height at which it is desired tosuspend the picture frame unit 11, and approximately equidistant fromthe ceiling, and at the desired distance laterally from each other. Thepicture frame unit 11 and attached picture frame hanging and levelingdevices 10 are then suspended from the supporting nails 22 by engagingtheupper portion 23 of each arm 15 over the head 24 of the supportingnail 22, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the head 24 of the nail 22 isdisposed slightly rearwardly of the upper portion 23 of thecorresponding arm 18 and some looseness or play is thus provided betweenthe heads 24 of the supporting nails 22 and the arms 18-23 of thepicture frame hanging and leveling device 10 so that the picture frameunit 11 and the attached picture frame hanging and leveling devices maybe slid and adjusted laterally or horizontally on the supporting nails22. A test hanging of the picture frame unit 11 is then made and if thepicture frame unit 11 is not hanging or suspended straight or properly,the user than measures the distance from the ceiling to both sides ofthe top wall 13 of the picture 33 frame unit 11 to determine thedistance or extent of which it is out of line or plumb.

Thus, for example, assuming that the picture frame unit 11 is found tobe out of line or plumb by a half inch, the user then takes the pictureframe unit 11 down and loosens either or both of the picture framehanging and leveling devices on their supporting screws 21 and thenmoves one or both picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 thenecessary distance in the direction up or down to accommodate for thedistance or extent by which the picture frame unit 11 was out of line orplumb. The screws 21 are then tightened securely so as to clamp thepicture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 against the side walls 12of the picture frame unit 11, whereupon the picture frame unit 11 withthe attached picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10' attachedthereto is then reinserted in position upon the supporting nails 22 andat this time the picture frame unit ll'should be suspended in properlevel position from the supporting nails 22, although, if necessary, thepicture frame unit 11 and attached picture frame hanging and levelingdevices 10 may be adjusted laterally or horizontally on the supportingnails 22, as pointed out hereinbefore.

It will thus be noted that the new picture frame hanging and levelingdevice 10 enables the picture frame unit 11 to be properly suspendedupon and from a vertical wall or like supporting surface without the useof any flexible cord, or the like.

It will further be noted that the purpose of the horizontally extendingslot 20 in each of the offset horizontal arms 18 of the picture framehanging and leveling device 10 is not only to receive the supportingnail 22 but to enable compensation to be effected for the possibilitythat the supporting nails 22 will not be placed at exactly the rightdistance apart. Hence, the slotted arms 18-20, in conjunction with theother parts of the new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10,render it possible to level the picture frame unit 11 to insure that itis properly hung without removing the supporting nails 22 from the wallsurface 15 and thereby avoiding undue mutilation of the verticalsupporting wall surface 15, or the like.

It will further be noted that the vertically extending slot 17 in thevertically extending body portion 16 of the picture frame hanging andleveling device 10 enables compensation to be made for the fact that thesupporting nails 22 or like supporting members may not be initiallymounted in exactly equidistant positions vertically from the ceiling ofthe room, or like place from which the picture frame unit 11 is to behung, so that when this occurs, suitable compensation may be made byloosening the screws 21 and adjusting the picture frame hanging andleveling devices '10 on the side walls or rails 12 of the picture frameunit 11 and without removing the supporting nails 22 from the supportingwall surface 15.

It will likewise be noted that by reason of the fact that the upper arm18 of the new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 is offsetlaterally out of the plane of the main body portion 16, the pictureframe unit 11 is supported in position of use somewhat away from thevertically extending supporting wall surface 15 so as not to mar thelatter and to enhance the esthetic appearance of the picture.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present inventionprovides a new and im proved picture frame hanging and leveling devicehaving the desirable advantages and characteristics and accomplishingits intended objects including those hereinbefore pointed out and otherswihch are inherent in the invention.

I claim:

1. In a picture frame hanging and leveling device the combinationcomprising a wall, a member including a main body portion having a slotformed therein for the reception of fastening means by which the saidmember may be attached to -a rail of a picture frame unit, the saidmember including an arm portion extending 'angularly from the said mainbody portion and having an elongated slot formed therein; a headedsupporting element which is driven into said wall, received in said slotfor suspending the said picture frame hanging and leveling devicetherefrom; the transverse and longitudinal dimensions of the slotgreatly exceeding the diameter of the head on said supporting elementwhereby the supporting element may be readily inserted therein, and theupper edge of said slot being linear to allow relative sliding movementbetween said supporting element and said member.

'2. A picture frame hanging and leveling device as defined in claim 1 inwhich the said member is generally of inverted L-shaped in plan and inwhich the said arm portion of said member extends generally rightangularly from the said main body portion thereof, and is offsetlaterally from the plane of said main body portion.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 57,072 12/1939 Denmark.77,153 7/1950 Norway.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICE THE COMBINATIONCOMPRISING A WALL, A MEMBER INCLUDING A MAIN BODY PORTION HAVING A SLOTFORMED THEREIN FOR THE RECEPTION OF FASTENING MEANS BY WHICH THE SAIDMEMBER MAY BE ATTACHED TO A RAIL OF A PICTURE FRAME UNIT, THE SAIDMEMBER INCLUDING AN ARM PORTION EXTENDING ANGULARLY FROM THE SAID MAINBODY PORTION AND HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT FORMED THEREIN; A HEADEDSUPPORTING ELEMENT WHICH IS DRIVEN INTO SAID WALL, RECEIVED IN SAID SLOTFOR SUSPENDING THE SAID PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICETHEREFROM; THE TRANSVERSE AND LONGITUDINAL DIMENSIONS OF THE SLOTGREATLY EXCEEDING THE DIAMETER OF THE HEAD ON SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENTWHEREBY THE SUPPORTING ELEMENT MAY BE READILY INSERTED THEREIN, AND THEUPPER EDGE OF SAID SLOT BEING LINEAR TO ALLOW RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENTBETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENT AND SAID MEMBER.